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Unit 7: Consumer Analysis

In recent times, consumer behavior researchers have argued that it is important for them to Notes
study behavior for its own sake, for the purpose of advancing knowledge in any branch of
knowledge and any part of business. Consumer behavior can also be studied within the framework
of psychology (e.g., as a component of human behavior).
In this unit, we will discuss consumer affect and cognition and consumer behaviour. We will
also focus on marketing strategy and Individual Consumer.

7.1 Consumer Affect and Cognition

Consumer affect and cognition refer to two types of mental responses consumers’ exhibit toward
stimuli and events in their environment. Affect refers to their feelings about stimuli and events,
such as whether they like or dislike a product. Cognition refers to their thinking, such as their
beliefs about a particular product.
Affective responses can be favorable or unfavorable and vary in intensity. For instance, affect
includes relatively intense emotions such as love or anger, less strong feeling states such as
satisfaction or frustration, moods such as boredom or relaxation, and milder overall attitudes such
as liking McDonald’s french fries or disliking Bic pens. Marketers typically develop strategies to
create positive affect for their products and brands to increase the chances that consumers will
buy them.

Cognition refers to the mental structures and processes involved in thinking, understanding, and
interpreting stimuli and events.

Did u know? Cognition includes the knowledge, meanings, and beliefs that consumers
have developed from their experiences and stored in their memories.
It also includes the processes associated with paying attention to and understanding stimuli and
events, remembering past events, forming evaluations, and making purchasing decisions and
choices. Although many aspects of cognition are conscious thinking processes, others are
essentially automatic. Marketers often try to increase consumers’ attention to products and their
knowledge about them.

Example: Volvo ads often feature detailed information about the safety features of the
cars to increase consumers’ knowledge and the chances that they will buy Volvos.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:

1. ....................... is the sum total of Initial steps in the marketing research that identify and
collect information on the target market’s needs, profiles, and consumer behaviors in
order to establish market segmentation.
2. ....................... refers to their feelings about stimuli and events, such as whether they like or
dislike a product.

3. ....................... refers to the mental structures and processes involved in thinking,
understanding, and interpreting stimuli and events.

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